


Taking Care Of The (Not Yet) Wife

by amessoffand0ms



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, River's poorly and a young 11 looks after her, Sick! Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 14:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12749940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amessoffand0ms/pseuds/amessoffand0ms
Summary: The Doctor visits River a few months after the kiss at Stormcage, to find that she’ll ill.





	Taking Care Of The (Not Yet) Wife

**Author's Note:**

> Last line borrowed from "Forest Of The Dead" :)

River was huddled in her bunk, sneezing and coughing.

She'd caught a cold from she didn't know where, and the staff at her prison had given her something that was supposedly a cure, but had tasted disgusting and had only made her illness worse.

The child of the Tardis was feverish, warm one minute and freezing the next.

There was a wheezing, groaning sound, which River struggled to hear-her ears were a little blocked up.

The Doctor made his way outside with a quizzical expression on his face-usually, she'd bounce in barely before he'd managed to materialise.

River narrowed her eyes at her husband-he was young, just a tad older than the man whom she'd kissed, thinking that he's done it before with her.

"Hello, Sweetie." She managed, before another coughing fit racked her upper body.

"River! You're sick!" The Doctor exclaimed, rushing over to her.

"Unngh." She said in response, wiping her brow with a tissue and taking a drink of water.

As quick as a wink, he picked her up and held her bridal style in his arms. "I'm going to take care of you."

"Okay." River nodded, and closed her eyes.

The Doctor shuffled his arms so he could pick up her diary from her bedside table, and went back into the Tardis.

The ship closed her doors behind him and eased them into the vortex, making sure to keep the ride smooth.

"Thank you, dear." Smiled the Doctor.

He made his way down one of the corridors, not quite sure of where to go.

As always, the Tardis was one step ahead (or several) and led her Thief to a bedroom.

It was plain-Tardis blue walls, a white bed with the covers pulled back, and  a grey carpet.

On the bedside table were several medicines, and there was a faucet in the corner.

The Doctor laid her down on the bed, and pulled the covers up around her, placing her diary on the bedside table.

River stirred. "Doctor?"

"Shh, I'm here, it's okay." He responded, helping her to sit up. "There's some tablets here that the Tardis provided for you."

"Okay." She nodded, and took the glass of water, which he held out.

The Doctor handed her three tablets which River took, and had a sip of water after each one.

"My bones ache." River complained. "I ache everywhere."

He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "The medicine will do its magic, go to sleep."

"Okay." She replied, and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Doctor."

River fell asleep, and the Doctor placed a hand on her arm, summoning up some regeneration energy, just enough to make the pain go away.

For a day and a half, River slept, and only woke to take some tablets the Tardis provided every few hours.

The Doctor was by her side all the time, sitting in an armchair, watching her, and only leaving her side to eat, and occasionally sleeping-although he preferred to stay awake to watch her.

River stirred with a yawn, feeling a lot better. "Sweetie?"

"River!" He jumped up. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thank you. And I'm ravenous." She stated.

The Doctor smiled. "I'm relieved and glad to see that you're more like your usual self." He said, and gave her a peck on the lips.

She smiled at this-not her last, after all.

"D'you want me to make you something to eat?" He asked her.

River nodded. "Yes please."

"Any special requests?"

"Chicken soup. With bread and butter, please."

"Okay." The Doctor replied, and pecked her on the cheek before leaving the room.

River made her way into her own room, and had a shower. After that, she dried off and got into a pair of pyjamas, before drying her hair.

She padded back into the room she'd been resting in-she knew that it was important that he didn't see her room, not yet.

He wasn't back yet, so she sat on the bed and began to write down her latest diary entry in the little blue book that he'd given her.

River smiled-this younger version of him was slowly but surely beginning to fall for her-really, properly, considering a future with her. Or past-wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

The Doctor re-entered the room, holding a tray with a bowl of chicken soup and a plate of bread and butter on a little plate.

"Thank you, my love." River said, taking it from him.

"That's alright, I'm rather gifted at making soup and bread."

"You are." She chuckled, and ate her meal.

"What d'you think?" He asked when she finished.

"Lovely." River beamed, setting the tray down. "Thank you, for everything."

"That's okay." The Doctor said. "I care for you, a lot."

"I know, and I care about you a lot too."

"In fact," the Time Lord said, taking her hands in his own. "I'd go so far as to say that... Well, I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetie." River beamed, her hearts doing back flips.

He sat down next to her on the bed and she cuddled against him, kissing him again.

"River, do we have a future? Are we happy?" He asked her.

"Yes, we are Doctor. We're very happy-our lives aren't easy, but we are happy." River responded. "You and me, time and space-you watch us run."


End file.
